The present invention relates to the safe movement of materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to securing loads onto lift-truck vehicles.
Lift trucks such as forklifts or skid-steer vehicles are common machines for moving heavy loads. They are often used in a warehouse or other industrial setting in which speed and efficiency are required. This need for quick movement of loads often results in the lift truck operator driving at a high rate of speed. At high rates of speed and during quick stops, the load on a lift truck can shift or fall. This can present a dangerous situation to people around the lift truck, as well as damage to the materials on the load. The potential danger of a lift truck load falling is compounded by the fact that in the interest of efficiency,  loads are often stacked onto pallets. These stacks can become very high, which increases the likelihood of the load shifting or falling off completely. If a load were to fall off a lift truck under any conditions it could be seriously harmful, and even deadly.
There have been several prior art devices that have attempted to solve this problem. One method used in the prior art to stabilize loads employs a clamping means in which long stabilizing arms extend outward and clamp around a load. U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,795 discloses a clamping means in which the clamping means comprises a downwardly facing load engaging surface. U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,628 discloses a clamping means in which the arms engage the sides of the load. The problem with these clamping devices is that the clamping arms are long and straight, and thus they are only effective if the load is comprised of a long straight surface. These clamping devices also require additional expensive hydraulics and/or mechanics to move the clamping arms toward and away from the load.
Yet another prior art method used to stabilize loads on skid-steers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,953. This patent discloses a gravity operated latch that is vertically  engaged when the pallet fork of the skid-steer is lifted off of the ground. As the pallet fork is lifted from the ground, the latch is lowered by gravity until is catches on a hook or handle located on the load. When the pallet fork is lowered to the ground again, the latch's lower portion contacts the ground, which pushes the latch away from the hook or handle located on the load. The problem with this device is the latching mechanism is useless if the load does not have a hook or handle in the proper position, or if the load is of an obscure shape.
There is therefore a need for a device that will secure a load to a pallet fork of a lift truck and support the weight of that load, even if the load shifts on the pallet fork and/or if the load is of an obscure shape.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple and cost effective device for safely and efficiently transporting loads on pallet forks.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for safely and efficiently transporting loads on pallet forks when the loads are of an obscure shape.